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Blair:Anti-Terrorism to Be Balanced With Mideast Peace Process
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in an interview with the Observer on Sunday that any military action in Afghanistan had to be balanced with progress in the peace process between Israel and Palestine.
Blair stressed that humanitarian and diplomatic moves had to run side by side with the Middle East countries in the war against terrorism. He said they had discussed with their allies the anti- terrorism action in Afghanistan. At the second phase, they would discuss it with their Arab partners, he added.
Blair also said there were no plans for a "wider war" against Iraq despite pressure from some circles in the Bush administration. Plans should be "pushed forward" to relax sanctions against Iraq, allowing more food and medical aid in, he said.
As for the Middle East peace process, Blair said that a " security bridge" was needed to move the process into the next stage of "serious talks" between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who will meet with Blair in London on Monday.
It was Blair's first interview after the September 11 terror attacks,which was published by the Rome daily La Repubblica and Torin's La Stampa on Monday.
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